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Non-profit

URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity

Website:

urge.org
Location:

WASHINGTON, DC
Tax ID:

52-1772575
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $5,891,975
Expenses: $4,361,765
Assets: $6,149,416
Type:

Pro-Abortion and Gender Activism
Founded:

1992
Executive Director:

Kimberly Inez McGuire

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity is a left-of-center pro-abortion and gender-activist organization. It has chapters at colleges and universities in California, Georgia, Kansas, and Ohio. 1

URGE’s issue advocacy supports self-managed abortion, removal of abortion restrictions, promotion of comprehensive sex education, expansion of voting rights, government-run health care through Medicare for all, elimination of student debt, dismantling the police, and open access to public services for all immigrants. 2

Background

URGE was founded in 1992 as “ChoiceUSA” by political activists and feminists Gloria Steinem, Kristina Kiehl, and Julie Burton. 3

In 2000, ChoiceUSA modified its focus to young people of color and LGBT youth. In 2014, ChoiceUSA changed its name to “URGE: United for Reproductive & Gender Equity” to reflect its broader focus on both pro-abortion and gender choice activism. 4

In 2017, URGE co-sponsored the Women’s March, 5 which took place the day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, protesting Trump’s policy positions which they considered “strongly prejudiced against women.” 6

In 2018, Kimberly Inez McGuire joined URGE as executive director and in 2019 URGE rolled out a new strategic plan. 7 The plan reinforced the notion that URGE was a young people’s movement, specifically “young people of color who are women, queer, trans, nonbinary, and people of low income” supporting free love and self-expression of gender and sexuality and challenging “white supremacy and anti-Blackness.” 8

As of March 2023, URGE had 24 chapters, all located in colleges and universities in California, Georgia, Kansas, and Ohio. 9

URGE Policy Agenda

URGE created the “Young People’s Reproductive Justice Policy Agenda” to identify its priorities. The agenda identifies six left-of-center priorities, describes them, and cites legislation that would support these priorities; they include “Real Abortion Access,” “Sexuality Education,” “Democracy Reform,” “Economic Justice,” “Decriminalize & Create Safe Communities,” and “Immigrant Justice.” 10

Real Abortion Access supports self-managed abortion, access to abortion medication, an end to parental involvement in abortion decision-making by minors, and removal of all abortion bans. Sexuality Education supports a comprehensive LGBTQIA+ inclusive sexual health information and services program to all regardless of age, income, location, or immigration status. Democracy Reform supports expanding voting rights by making it easier to vote and lowering the voting age to 16. Economic Justice supports eliminating student debt, providing Medicare for all, and raising the federal minimum wage. Decriminalize & Create Safe Communities supports the decriminalization of sex work and dismantling the police and “mass incarceration.” Immigrant Justice supports sanctuary cities and open access to public services for all immigrants. 11

Political Actions

In October 2020, URGE co-signed an open letter released by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to the Senate urging the body not to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. They claimed she would “grant President Trump nearly unchecked power to continue the devastating assault on civil and human rights in America.” 12

In January 2023, the executive director of URGE spoke at a press conference for the re-introduction of the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act into Congress 13 that would require coverage for abortion through all public health insurance programs and prohibit federal, state, or local governments from restricting coverage for abortion. 14

Programs

URGE offers training programs including the Reproductive Justice Leadership Institute and the week-long Gloria Steinem Membership Conference to train young people on the skills needed to be a reproductive justice activist. 15

The Integrated Voter Engagement program to expand youth voter engagement and activism uses door knocking, phone banking, texting, and digital organizing in Alabama, Texas, and Ohio to encourage young people to vote, citing issues such as comprehensive sex education, anti-border wall work, organizing against anti-abortion bills, and sex worker solidarity. 16

Memberships

URGE is a member of the left-leaning “anti-oppression” coalition Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD). DFAD is made up of over 250 left-leaning activist groups including United to Protect Democracy, Government Accountability Project, Rock the Vote, Common Cause, Progressive Democrats of America, Center for American Progress, People for the American Way and In Our Own Voice National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda. 18

URGE’s 2019  and 2020 donors include left-of-center philanthropic foundations David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Ford Foundation, Brush Foundation, General Service Foundation, National Philanthropic Trust, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, as well as Ohio Voice and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. 19

Brush Foundation made grants to URGE in 2020 and in 2021. 20 It is a left-leaning grantmaking organization that supports abortion providers and groups advocating for abortion. 21

General Service Foundation is a grantmaking foundation that focuses its grants on “building voice and power” for racial and gender activism. 22

Ohio Voice is the Ohio affiliate of State Voices and is focused on increasing voter engagement in underrepresented communities to “win progressive governance.” 23

Leadership

Kimberly Inez McGuire joined URGE as executive director in 2018. 24 She is the board chair for the Groundswell Fund, a board member of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change), a co-chair of Abortion on Our Own Terms, 25 and a board member of Women’s Voices for the Earth. 26

Previously McGuire was director of public affairs for pro-abortion rights organization National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and senior program director for Conway Strategic. 27 Conway Strategic is a communications firm that works with progressive organizations to create messaging and campaigns to change policies in support of left-of-center causes. 28

Niara Stitt is board chair. She is a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati. On her LinkedIn profile, Stitt indicated her interests are in “advocacy in areas surrounding gender-based violence, and equitable access to employment for marginalized groups.” 29

Heidi Gerbracht is board vice chair. She is the founder and director of Equity Agenda and board chair of Annie’s List, an organization in Texas that works to elect progressive women to office. 30 Equity Agenda is a fiscally sponsored project of the Social Good Fund focused on gender activism. 31

References

  1. “Chapters.” URGE: United for Reproductive & Gender Equity. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://urge.org/chapters/chapter-list/
  2. “A Young People’s RJ Policy Agenda.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://urge.org/yppa2020/
  3. “Our History.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity – About Us. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://urge.org/about/our-history-2/
  4. [1] “Our History.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity – About Us. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://urge.org/about/our-history-2/
  5. “Our History.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity – About Us. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://urge.org/about/our-history-2/
  6. Scott Malone, Ginger Gibson. “In challenge to Trump, women protesters swarm streets across U.S.” Reuters. January 21, 2017. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-women-idUSKBN1550DW
  7. “Our History.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity – About Us. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://urge.org/about/our-history-2/
  8. “About Us.” URGE Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://urge.org/about/mission-and-values/
  9. “Chapters.” URGE: United for Reproductive & Gender Equity. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://urge.org/chapters/chapter-list/
  10. “A Young People’s RJ Policy Agenda.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://urge.org/yppa2020/
  11. “A Young People’s RJ Policy Agenda.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://urge.org/yppa2020/
  12. “150 Civil Rights and Public Interest Groups Urge Senate to Oppose Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court Confirmation.” The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. October 6, 2020. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://civilrights.org/2020/10/06/150-civil-rights-and-public-interest-groups-urge-senate-to-oppose-amy-coney-barretts-supreme-court-nomination/
  13. “URGE Executive Director Kimberly Inez Mcguire Speaks at EACH Act Press Conference.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity – Media Center – Press Releases. January 26, 2023. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://urge.org/press-release/urge-executive-director-kimberly-inez-mcguire-speaks-at-each-act-press-conference/
  14. “H.R.1692 – Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act of 2019.” Congress.gov. Access February 24, 2023. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1692
  15. URGE Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part I). 2020.
  16. “Integrated Voter Engagement.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity – Programs. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://urge.org/programs/ive/
  18. “Our Members.” Declaration for American Democracy. Accessed February 3, 2023. https://dfadcoalition.org/[/ntoe]

    Funding

    According to 2020 tax returns, URGE had revenues of $5,891,975 and expenses of $4,361,765. 17 URGE Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part III). 2020.

  19. ProPublice Nonprofit Explorer – URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=URGE+Unite+for+Reproductive+and+Gender+Equity
  20. “Grant Programs.” Brush Foundation. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://www.brushfoundation.org/recent-grantmaking
  21. “About Us.” Brush Foundation. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://www.brushfoundation.org/values-vision
  22. “Grants.” General Service Foundation. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://generalservice.org/whatwefund/buildingvoiceandpower/
  23. “About Us.” Ohio Voice. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://ohvoice.org/
  24. “Our History.” URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity – About Us. Accessed February 22, 2023. https://urge.org/about/our-history-2/
  25. Kimberly Inez McGuire. URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity – About Us – Staff & Board. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://urge.org/profile/kimberly-inez-mcguire/
  26. LinkedIn – Kimberly Inez McGuire. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyinezmcguire/
  27. LinkedIn – Kimberly Inez McGuire. Kimberly Inez McGuire’s resume (PDF). Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyinezmcguire/
  28. Conway Strategic website. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.conwaystrategic.com/
  29. LinkedIn – Niara Stitt. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/niara-stitt-431185127/
  30. Heidi Gerbracht. URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity – About Us – Staff & Board. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://urge.org/profile/heidi-gerbracht/
  31. Equity Agenda website. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://equityagenda.org/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: January 1, 1993

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form 990 $5,891,975 $4,361,765 $6,149,416 $530,026 N $5,878,902 $0 $13,073 $150,596 PDF
    2019 Dec Form 990 $4,837,989 $3,604,430 $4,333,332 $265,325 N $4,835,520 $0 $2,663 $137,068 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,553,776 $2,798,124 $3,001,851 $167,403 N $1,542,482 $4,500 $4,261 $35,000 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $4,581,056 $2,181,636 $4,218,378 $139,582 N $4,572,401 $2,145 $1,295 $115,000 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,418,311 $2,095,477 $1,747,750 $68,374 N $1,385,952 $26,458 $884 $104,264 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $3,018,421 $1,565,011 $2,421,136 $64,594 N $2,995,722 $22,270 $429 $95,077 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,113,794 $1,158,310 $953,016 $49,884 N $1,089,384 $10,050 $1,059 $94,316 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,071,580 $878,902 $979,664 $32,016 N $1,050,611 $14,031 $242 $95,076 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $712,994 $744,844 $780,717 $25,747 N $685,209 $3,150 $235 $90,264 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $971,860 $706,207 $801,656 $14,836 N $958,414 $100 $294 $76,538 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Map image for URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity

    URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity

    734 15TH ST NW STE 800
    WASHINGTON, DC 20005-1016